Russia elections: crackdown on Navalny app promoting Putin rivals

An app promoting smart voting was suddenly kicked off Google and Apple. Rivals with identical names and appearances are running against opposition candidates. State employees are allegedly being forced to turn out to vote.

This is Putin’s Russia, on the first day of voting in parliamentary elections, which critics are calling the ‘least free for 20 years’.

The authorities are already accusing ‘foreign agents’ of plotting to discredit the results.